“We create a fun, relaxed atmosphere and provide our patients with a personalized experience that is second to none.”

Jennifer Brady Cook, OD, knew exactly what
she had in mind when she opened her practice in September 2008. “I
created a vision of where I wanted to work and how I wanted it to feel,”
she said. For inspiration, Brady Cook showed her architects and
designers photos of Soho House in Manhattan and the Delano Hotel in
South Beach, Miami.

“I only hire fun and genuinely nice people who automatically know to
make eye contact and openly communicate with patients. I hire for
culture first and foremost because you can’t train attitude,” she said

The office environment also focuses on fun. “We have no forms to
fill out, we have no warning signs about our policies posted,” Brady
Cook explained. Fun also is boosted by the doctor’s bulldogs, Joseph and
Herbert. She jokes that she has conducted many an eye exam with a dog’s
head between her and the patient—especially if that patient is a child.
The dogs create a friendly office that children look forward to
visiting.

Employees are empowered problem-solvers. “I empower my employees by
allowing them $300 per situation to fix any patient problem,” said Brady
Cook. “They understand that our culture is to do whatever we can to
make the patient happy.”

“Being in Charlotte, home of
Wachovia and Bank of America, we were in the heart of the financial
meltdown. New patient numbers were down, recall rates were reduced and
our overall production was well below expectations,” said Amir
Khoshnevis, OD. “We selectively increased participation on insurance
panels, employed lean management initiatives to improve efficiency, and
focused on improving the patient experience.”

NuVue, the practice’s branded optical, exemplifies Khoshnevis’s
philosophy of offering patients something they won’t find anywhere else.
Jennifer DaQuano, NuVue manager, argued that “instead of allowing a
mass-produced designer to sell itself (only to compete with everyone
around us and online optical) we should sell the experience of
uniqueness.” That means selling brands from around the world, rather
than just sticking to the big box frames brands.

The innovation behind the practice’s optical philosophy results from
engaging staff in the practice vision. Khoshnevis recommends “selling
your vision [not just sharing] by preparing, presenting, telling a story
that’s personalized and has emotional appeal, framing the discussion,
and establishing the end goal; while always keeping the interests of
your patients as the motivation, versus financial gains.”

“Always strive to work smarter, not just harder. Change and improve to remain pertinent and relevant.”

Oliver Lou, OD, seems predisposed to high growth. “I started my
practice from zero in August 2002. Within six years, we accomplished $1
million in gross revenue as a one-doctor practice. By the end of seven
years, we were able to move out of our leased space, purchase land and
construct a permanent building for the practice with a 4,800 square foot
ground-up construction.”

Accommodating patients is a top priority. “We go to great lengths to
provide exceptional service from the way we answer phones to greeting
our patients as they walk in the door,” said Lou. “Anything we can do to
make our patients feel comfortable is considered.” The practice even
has a Keurig machine so patients can fix themselves hot drinks in the
reception area.

There is also a play area for children with a toy train. In case
patients still aren’t entertained, they get iPads for fun while waiting
in the exam room.

“We always send a survey to each patient the next day to ensure we
can gather valuable feedback and respond to their suggestions and needs
in a prompt manner,” said Lou. “We have a fully technology-integrated
practice so that we can see a high-volume of patients comprehensively
and effectively.”

“The patient is always right. Custom service is the core of how and why we do business.”

Ahmed Said, OD, has a bustling
practice and offers everything from emergency eyecare to Lasik
consultations, but his patients love his practice for the customized
attention they get. That individualized attention is best highlighted in
the practice’s optical, which recently started offering iZon lenses,
high-resolution, customized eyeglasses.

Along with cutting-edge offerings, Said, who has a second office in
Garner, N.C., counts as achievements the optical’s success selling
multiple pairs of eyeglasses and prescription sunwear, and educating
patients about the benefits of lens treatments like anti-glare. Said
explained that his staff is trained to find customized solutions for
patients. “We ask patients a lot of questions and take detailed
histories of hobbies and interests, customizing their prescription to
match their lifestyle,” he said. “We believe in a holistic and unique
approach to each patient.”

Said is also a believer in the importance of the hand-off from
doctor to optician. That means the patient’s education of their eyecare
needs begins in the exam chair and is reinforced when the doctor hands
the patient off to the optician to choose eyewear in the dispensary.